Sen. Jeff Sessions tangles with Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan over military recruiting while she was dean at Harvard Law

View full sizeSupreme Court nominee Elena Kagan shakes hands with Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee as as committee chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., looks on at center, before the start of confirmation hearing before the committee, Monday, June 28, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions tangled with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan this morning, disputing her assertion that the U.S. military had full access to recruit students at Harvard Law School while she was dean.

"I'm a little taken aback by the tone of your remarks because they are unconnected to reality," Sessions said in one of the testier exchanges. "I know what happened at Harvard."

At issue is Kagan's decision on where military recruiters could speak with Harvard students about military careers. During part of her deanship, military recruiters were allowed access to students through the school's veterans organization, not the school's official career services office.

She said she personally opposed the "don't ask, don't tell" law regarding gays in the military but that her decision on military recruitment was meant to enforce the law school's anti-discrimination policy that required employers to sign non-discrimination pledges before they could recruit Harvard students.

"I respect, indeed, revere the military," Kagan said. She said during the time the military recruiters worked through the veterans' office, recruiting of Harvard law students went up.

Sessions said Kagan was "punishing the military" for a law passed by Congress.

Sessions, R-Ala., is the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is expected to continue to question Kagan today and tomorrow. President Barack Obama nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.

Sessions voted against Kagan's confirmation last year as U.S. Solicitor General.